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10 June 2015

The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children

As children we all enjoyed playing
outside, discovering new activities and exploring nature but besides
being incredible fun, outdoor play also has a range of benefits for
our children and should be actively encouraged.

One of the main advantages of
encouraging children to play outdoors is the health benefits of being
active outside. Active kids are healthy kids and being active can
help children avoid developing life limiting conditions such as
obesity and diabetes.

Other benefits of outdoor play for
children include;

Increased
educational opportunities. The outdoors is a perfect learning environment for children, giving them the
space to learn through movement-an important feature of learning in
early development along with play, talk and sensory learning. The
outdoors offers a perfect vehicle for all of these different ways of
learning and studies have shown that children learn more easily when
outdoors.

Decrease stress levels. Playing
outside allows children to ‘burn off’ excess energy by giving
them the freedom and space needed to run around. The feeling of
space and tranquility provided in outdoor settings also helps to
relieve stress and tension in children.

Develop relationships with
peers. Team games such as football and rugby, or even playground
games such as tag are usually played outside where there is enough
space for children to run around without being constricted or
cramped. Encouraging these games helps children to build stronger
relationships with their peers, an important part of their
development as they learn through play.

Improve creativity. Studies
have shown that children who regularly play outside are more
imaginative and creative than those who rarely play outdoors. This
is because when playing outdoors children rely on their surroundings
and their own imaginations for entertainment instead of using gaming
consoles or watching television.

Better understanding of the
world. When children are allowed to interact and engage with the
basic elements of the world they live in- water, mud, air- they
begin to better understand the world surrounding them and how it
works. Exposing children to the elements also helps to build
stronger immune systems and ultimately healthier children.

Early association with outdoor
activity and fitness. Encouraging your children to regularly
take part in outdoor exercise at a young age will help them continue
these habits as they grow, helping to keep them healthy as adults
too.

There has been a
decline in children playing outdoors over the past decades for a
number of reasons- parent’s hectically scheduled lives and the
growing popularity of the gaming industry to name a few- but the
benefits of being outdoors show how essential this element of
childhood is.

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